coming into block heater season...

[Atomb]

while this may only apply to Canadian Vibes (standard block heater), i can't discount those of you south of the border that may have installed an aftermarket heater....how long should the car be plugged in for best results but also energy savings? I have an outdoor timer which i plan on using to control when my block heater turns on. that way i'm not heating all night....start it around 4am for a 6am start? How long before the 'start' should i set the timer to turn on the electricity? I know i could simply plug it in all night but i don't want to be using electricity to heat the engine block for most of the night for no reason!Any experience/articles around this topic?

[BlueCrush]

I have one on mine as well. I talked to the dealer and they said an hour should be sufficient. But I would probably go up to 2 hours for the nights it gets below -20.

[StampedeVibe]

You have to use a block heater in Mississauga? I didn't think it gets below -15 (w/o wind chill) that often over there. I've noticed that in the past, that plugging it in when it's above -10, doesn't really get you a whole lot in terms of an easier start. When it does dip below -20, 2-3 hours of plug-in seems to do the trick.

[zionzr2]

I wish I had a block heater and a place to plug one in!!!

[ragingfish]

Straight from the manual's mouth Quote, originally posted by Vibe Manual »Engine Coolant Heater (If Equipped)In very cold weather, 0°F (-18°C) or colder, the engine coolant heater can help. You’ll get easier starting and better fuel economy during engine warm-up. Usually, the coolant heater should be plugged in a minimum of four hours prior to starting your vehicle. At temperatures above 32°F (0°C), use of the coolant heater is not required.To Use the Engine Coolant Heater1. Turn off the engine.2. Open the hood and unwrap the electrical cord located on the driver’s side of the engine compartment, near the front.3. Plug it into a normal, grounded 110-volt AC outlet.CAUTION:Plugging the cord into an ungrounded outlet could cause an electrical shock. Also, the wrong kind of extension cord could overheat and cause a fire. You could be seriously injured. Plug the cord into a properly grounded three-prong 110-volt AC outlet. If the cord won’t reach, use a heavy-duty three-prong extension cord rated for at least 15 amps.4. Before starting the engine, be sure to unplug and store the cord as it was before to keep it away from moving engine parts. If you don’t, it could be damaged.How long should you keep the coolant heater plugged in? The answer depends on the outside temperature, the kind of oil you have, and some other things. Instead of trying to list everything here, we ask that you contact your dealer in the area where you’ll be parking your vehicle. The dealer can give you the best advice for that particular area.

[Raven]

A block heater not only helps with cold start-up, it also gives you almost instantaneous heat and defrost. This can save considerable time defrosting and de-icing your windows.

[Sputnik]

I've never used my block heater (I have one??) because at my apartment building the railing in front of my parking spot that had the electrical outlet flew off in a windstorm one night. So now that I've moved to my condo, I have an outdoor covered parking spot with a plug! Maybe I should try it this year. I've never seen the plug though... although I never looked for it before.

[BlueCrush]

Sunny, good point about the heat and defrost.Sputnik, mine is located at the right front of the engine compartment.So, I guess try looking there first.

[pmh013]

Sputnik, it's near the battery. It shouldn't be too hard to find. If all else fails, stop off at an infamous Pontiac dealer to locate it for you!

[Sputnik]

Hmm... cool I shall check it out!

[StampedeVibe]

Ummm.... I'd have to disagree with your "near instanteous heat and defrost". When it's -20 or below, it's still going to take at least 5 minutes before any decent amount of heat is going to come out of those vents!

[glassman]

back when i lived in winnipeg i took a circulating heater from a semi truck 2kilowatt and tapped inline to my civic's cooling sys in 2 hrs it would heat enogh to open the thermostat at -35outside and the snow would be melted off the hood you could turn the key on and the temp gauge would go up just about to norm leave the defroster on and fan on command start 2min before leaving house car was t shirt weather in sidedon't have that problem no as vibe is in a heated garage and i live on vancouver island it was a chilly 11 degrees today

[AKLGT]

i have one. never have used one in any of my vehicles. and i think i've had it in 5 of them.

[DavidPIL]

Hey,I don't have a set schedule so sometimes I'm out the door at5am, sometimes not till the afternoon or not at all. Since it's hard for me to set a timer for such randomness, does anyone think it would be a bad thing to just leave it plugged in? I did that last Winter without a problem but if anyone thinks it's a bad thing, let me know...Dave

[AKLGT]

dave, that's a very good question! i have no clue, other than i'd think it'd be a fire hazard. it's still a heater and just like my heated mattress pad on my bed, it's not a good idea to just let it stay plugged in and on all the time. but then again, up here, places up north, they are plugged in and running 24 hours or they won't start back up!

[ToolGuy]

I installed on in my first car since I babied it, it was in Ohio. The very cool thing was, in college I parked in a parking deck and it had outlets in front of the cars all thought the deck. I get there early, plugged it in and went to class. Sweet!!!As far as leaving it plugged in, it is grounded. However it is a heating element and anything 'could' happen, people just have to be smart. Make sure nothing flammable is around of the vehicle or under the hood i.e. stinks like gas.

[pmh013]

I don't think it's the end of the world to leave it plugged in. Last winter, I left it plugged in all day. My car would over-night in the garage, I'd drive it an hour to work, then plug it in (it sat in a parking lot on the cold, bald, Canadian prairie for 8 hours). I'd start it about 20 minutes before I was ready to go.This was below -20C (-4F).

[MadBill]

Quote, originally posted by DavidPIL »Hey,I don't have a set schedule so sometimes I'm out the door at5am, sometimes not till the afternoon or not at all. Since it's hard for me to set a timer for such randomness, does anyone think it would be a bad thing to just leave it plugged in? I did that last Winter without a problem but if anyone thinks it's a bad thing, let me know...DaveWe have a similar situation with my wife's car. Sometimes she needs to use it first thing in the morning, but not always, and she usually doesn't know the night before. On cold nights I set the timer for ~ 2 hours prior until 1 after her possible departure time, so if she doesn't need it, it switches off. If it's still really cold, she can turn it back on for a while if she's goinfg out later. Leaving it on all day costs $$ and unnecessarily adds to global warming.BTW, most engine wear occurs in the first minute or so of operation, especially in cold weather; another reason to use the block heater when appropriate. PS: Our Buick has a digital engine temperature gauge, so if we get enough cold nights this winter, I'll compare the effects of all night vs. 1,2,3 & 4 hours of heater operation...

[BlueCrush]

Keep us posted on the results of your comparison.

[ToolGuy]

I think the only drawback to leaving it plugged in all day is the longer you use it, it life gets used as well. Worst case, it burns up and you get another, it did its job. Pennies of elec used too. The heaters used to insert in a freeze plug but now it seems they are more of coolant heaters, installed near the T-stat elbow. I have left mine the longest all night, no issues, would think the same if left all day and night. I would never leave it for days on end though. There are battery heaters too since they can freeze and then you get a no crank.

[Atomb]

wow, thanks for all the comments!...don't start on the battery warmer issue...i'm already planning my discussion with my dealer if i end up having cold crank issues with the small battery!StampedeVibe: it gets pretty cold here...the big thing is the wind. i think there's a reason where there were no settlements through most of mississauga/milton in the old days...they were all blown away!with my VW, i noticed that -20C was the break point. Anything colder than that and it was a difficult start...anything warmer resulted in some groaning but not a problem. so i prob won't use the block heater in the vibe until i'm we're at -15C or so overnight.

[Raven]

Quote, originally posted by StampedeVibe »Ummm.... I'd have to disagree with your "near instanteous heat and defrost". When it's -20 or below, it's still going to take at least 5 minutes before any decent amount of heat is going to come out of those vents! I get heat in under 2 minutes having driven maybe a mile at best. No matter what the outside temperature is within reason, the block heater heats the engine up to the same temperature and heat is produced very quickly after start-up.